College History Lecture on Two Wheels

9/26/2011 2:03PM

Columbia historian Kenneth Jackson takes students on an annual nocturnal bicycle tour of the city as part of his history class. Sophia Hollander has details about this class on two wheels on Lunch Break.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

the ... all ... the ... best way to learn about the history of New York State ... if it from a bicycle at midnight ... we had a very sore Sophia Hollander who did just that tells all about it in Churstain ... class at Columbia University in SEC ... history class on the bicycle ... for one nightly from when I yet Professor Ken Jackson that is the editor of the Encyclopedia New York and started this about forty years ago ... um ... when you know he was younger he with the aim is thirteen so high he you know he said to me is no fear of litigation at that point because you know I know I was talking about that right time and see that it can to the nineteen seventies in your hand in his frustrated by the scores of walking towards me is like well ... there are fewer cars at night ... why don't we just didn't try and see what happens and it's become this ... forty year tradition ... so how many people into believing rounded be left at midnight last week is that right now lead in their eleven thirty and how many people were on the bride ... this time on the insurance ... about two or three hundred people ... and about twenty the first year where did you go ... I still we started cycling up the Clunie campus down at Buy Riverside Park and down into Central Park annuity amazing how many people are actually out at midnight in Central Park is ... Charlaine walking their dogs down ... little scary and tidy yes I mean you know ... that ... I was not the most ... efficient cyclist who has ever lived and suicides are good ... got to be back in the group by myself I was little a little intimidated but ... they have been awesome to teach this class ... because it's a nice to say that he's stopping his honestly given lectures at different points ... do they have you know people to serve healthy like cruising it's my gets a flat tire out is what happens and ... bridges in Africa get a flat tire for ... although the writers are wired and buy yen and his ... father Texas on the twenty first targeted in a listing of twenty people they get on a bike like the look of this will it that way they treat their Easter spontaneous for the moment ... now there's an ambulance there's an STD their mechanics the act it clear there were with the police ALM so it's it's become much more ... organized and region answer that I would imagine this if it didn't take the essence of that there must be something very beautiful ally an emotional about getting to know the New York City at that hour no matter how tired you wanted to feel and it seems feel that ... here I think ... everyone does on the riots as a concerted the experience of a lifetime ... time and you know I think the most magical moment for me ... was riding through Times Square at about twelve thirty at night ... and and yet there are people to certain lining the streets because their people always intense for lining the streets in your city in eastern cheering you and you know it feels like character in the marathon ... conifer a lot of the students you are professional athletes and ... and for me was certainly out of the Chinese data Friday only ten of my life that when people be cheering the Ana place on the street near where next year you get the Wall Street Journal wonderful story in today's paper congratulations an ... interesting way to keep students in